Suffering from seizures and forced to retire, Michelle Mothershed found herself needing the help of a food pantry nearly 10 years ago. She made a promise to herself and her God after being treated poorly by a pantry worker.
“Lord, if I’m ever in a situation where I can help people like this, I never want to judge them,” Mothershed said.
Now, Mothershed is in that very position after starting Compassionately Connected for Veterans Inc. in 2021. The nonprofit, CC4V for short, focuses on meeting the needs of veterans and their families with special attention to food insecurity and homelessness. A training injury cut short Michelle Mothershed’s time in the U.S. Army, but even after a 20-year teaching career, she couldn’t shake her inclination toward patriotism and service.
The nonprofit will celebrate its fourth anniversary in March. The road has been challenging, and Mothershed said there was a steep learning curve for fundraising and making sure those serving on the organization’s board were aligned with its mission. She also had to learn to ask for help. “That was hard because I’m very prideful and us military people are very independent,” she said.
Going forward, she hopes to continue growing the number of recurring donors and volunteers.
One of her favorite moments after starting CC4V came at the organization’s Compassion Pantry in North Little Rock, which provides nonperishable food, hygiene items and basic necessities for veterans, their dependents, the community and the unsheltered. A man with four children began receiving assistance from the pantry and the organization until he called Mothershed one day.
“He said, ‘I’ve got a full-time job, and I no longer need the pantry,’” Mothershed recalled.
“That’s what it’s all about,” she said. “Giving people their dignity back.”
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